1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric grid management and visualization, and more particularly, to electric power topology and interactive graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that provide for modeling, introduction, operational command and control, and advanced energy settlements, messaging, and applications for electric power supply, load, and/or curtailment and data analytics associated with the distributed electric resources (DERs) for microgrids and broader electric power grids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, it is known in the prior art to provide electric power systems management. It is also known in the art to provide transmission line cartography; however, these maps are only a static representation and do not provide for distribution of grid elements, particularly for those grid elements that are connected to the electric power grid at the distribution level or for those sources of supply, such as renewables, storage technologies, electric vehicles or any mobile or fixed source of distributed energy resources as defined by NERC, FERC or the appropriate governing body that regulates the electric power grid. These maps and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) do not provide for interactive visual representation of electric power topology and integration with electric power systems modeling and management. In most utilities, market participants and grid operates to include Independent System Operators (ISOs), the grid modeling system is designed to model power flows and grid elements attached at the transmission level and modeled to logical nodes such as electrical buses, sources of macro generation (large generation facilities or large commercial/industrial locations) and or substations or any interconnection where transmission meets distribution. Also, limited information is available to electric power consumers regarding their past, present, and future projected use of power with sufficient details to make informed choices about types of power supply and pricing alternatives, particularly below those aforementioned nodes where transmission meets distribution. Furthermore, retail electric providers (REPs) and even power grid operators in prior art systems and methods do not have access to data and analytics to provide optimal identification and management of distributed energy resources (DERs), and do not have the ability to provide advanced energy settlements to provide the lowest pricing for power supplied at predetermined times, due at least in part to costs associated with obtaining power agreements without access to the data and analytics that provide a reduced risk of capital and performance associated with the supply and demand sides. Thus, there remains a need for improved information, controls, real-time or near-real-time data on power consumption, and visualization of the same for electric power market participants, REPs, end use customers, data centers, and microgrid owners, and messaging and management of financial settlement therefor.